This is a powerful book. It explores the Gwangju Uprising that happened in May of 1980 in South Korea. I had never even heard of that uprising prior to reading this book. This book highlights the violence of it all and the real human lives that were affected by it.

I liked how all the stories were interconnected and all the complex layers it showed. It gave different perspectives throughout different points of times. Kang did a great job with the emotions of all the characters. She gave a personal and human touch to the uprising.

I had read Han Kang's previous novel, The Vegetarian, and had a hard time "getting" it. I didn't have the same problem with this book.

Overall, this is a riveting and emotionally stirring book that sheds a human light on an awful atrocity.